The footwear industry has become a large, specialized, and competitive environment. The industry has long-established methods of operation, one of which is to determine shoe size based upon the length and width of the foot. Shoe lasts, which are solid forms upon which shoes are constructed, for each shoe size are used in the manufacture of shoes. Therefore, properly sized lasts are essential for a successful shoe line. Properly fitting shoes are always important to consumers, but fit can be particularly important for golfers, who wear relatively stiff golf shoes over varied terrain, for relatively long periods of time, and in varied weather conditions. Golfers often experience blistering caused by poorly fitting golf shoes. Poorly fitting shoes can also affect the golfers' hitting performance by not providing a stable base for their feet during golf swings. Thus, it is important to obtain the best fitting shoes to minimize such problems.
Various mechanical techniques have been proposed in the past for obtaining foot measurements. For example, most shoe stores commonly use a foot measuring scale known as the Brannock device, produced by the Brannock Device Company of Syracuse, N.Y. This device consists of a metal base plate with several sliding scales. It measures the length and width of the foot to determine an appropriate shoe size. One problem associated with the Brannock device is that its foot measurements are only two dimensional in nature, measuring an absolute length from heel to toe and the width. This method fails to take into consideration factors such as type of heel, e.g., bony versus padded; shape of the toes, e.g., square versus tapered; insole arch; and other characteristics. This device also fails to measure characteristics associated with medical problems such as bunions, which require larger shoe sizes to accommodate abnormalities of the foot.
Some systems use cameras to determine the characteristics of the foot. U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,126 to Massen discloses a method and arrangement for digitizing three-dimensional sensing of the shape of bodies or body parts. The data can be used for automated fabrication of a shoe last, bedding or foot molding, for example. This system uses an elastic envelope worn over the foot/body part during imaging by several cameras surrounding the foot/body part. The envelope carries a high-contrast pattern that allows for digitizing of the image. This method requires that a high contrast pattern is applied on to the bodies or body parts to provide the contrast for digital manipulation.
Other systems have proposed the use of laser beam measurement to determine the characteristics of the foot, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,745,290 to Frankel et al, 5,164,793 to Wolfersberger et al and 5,237,520 to White. In the Frankel and Wolfersberger references, the heel area is not measured. In the White patent, the dimensions of the upper foot are not obtained. Since all areas of the foot are important for a proper fit, omitting these areas is undesirable. Additionally lasers, which are structured light sources, do not illuminate the entire foot at once. The foot is typically painted line-by-line, sequentially until the entire foot is painted. This method of illumination takes time and requires a control mechanism for the laser. The foot must also remain stationary during this time period. Furthermore, laser systems are expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,633,326 to Fukumoto describes an image system, whereby an image pickup head having a CCD camera mounted thereon captures image(s) of a foot. The image pickup head is mounted on an elliptical rail surrounding the foot. The reference also discloses a particular arrangement of signal cable and auxiliary cable to prevent entanglement. The foot needs to remain stationary for a relatively long time for the camera to image all sides of the foot. This reference does not disclose how the image(s) can be processed to create a three-dimensional model of the foot.
Hence, there remains a need in the art for an apparatus and method for accurately measuring feet for production of lasts and selection of proper fitting shoes, among other uses.